Brass Tacks

Why?A local joint that serves good booze.

It used to be that Hayes Valley suffered the same fate as the Lower Haight -- lots of beer and wine but very little in the way of hard liquor. And as a wise man once said: "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker." Brass Tacks' owners say that they're not trying to be yet another bespoke cocktail place but simply want to be a neighborhood hangout that serves good booze -- and we're heartened that the owners come from such local favorites as Absinthe (just a few blocks away) and Churchill. True to its laid-back demeanor, the floor of this bar is made with wood from an old tobacco barn, there's a jukebox, wines on tap and most of the cocktails hover around the three-ingredient mark. We love cocktail culture, but if the alcohol isn't front and center, we think that's a crime. “The Conversation” cocktail is a good place to start: bourbon, root syrup and orange bitters. Drink and discuss.